twenty years after(二十年后)-第163章

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〃Ho！　ho！〃　replied　Aramis。　〃The　Frondeurs　will　have　a　treaty
and　your　eminence　must　sign　it　before　us；　promising　at　the
same　time　to　obtain　the　queen's　consent　to　it。〃
〃I　can　answer　only　for　myself；〃　said　Mazarin。　〃I　cannot
answer　for　the　queen。　Suppose　her　majesty　refuses？〃
〃Oh！〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃monseigneur　knows　very　well　that　her
majesty　refuses　him　nothing。〃
〃Here；　monseigneur；〃　said　Aramis；　〃is　the　treaty　proposed　by
the　deputation　of　Frondeurs。　Will　your　eminence　please　read
and　examine？〃
〃I　am　acquainted　with　it。〃
〃Sign　it；　then。〃
〃Reflect；　gentlemen；　that　a　signature　given　under
circumstances　like　the　present　might　be　regarded　as　extorted
by　violence。〃
〃Monseigneur　will　be　at　hand　to　testify　that　it　was　freely
given。〃
〃Suppose　I　refuse？〃
〃Then；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃your　eminence　must　expect　the
consequences　of　a　refusal。〃
〃Would　you　dare　to　touch　a　cardinal？〃
〃You　have　dared；　my　lord；　to　imprison　her　majesty's
musketeers。〃
〃The　queen　will　revenge　me；　gentlemen。〃
〃I　do　not　think　so；　although　inclination　might　lead　her　to
do　so；　but　we　shall　take　your　eminence　to　Paris；　and　the
Parisians　will　defend　us。〃
〃How　uneasy　they　must　be　at　this　moment　at　Rueil　and　Saint
Germain；〃　said　Aramis。　〃How　they　must　be　asking；　‘Where　is
the　cardinal？'　‘What　has　become　of　the　minister？'　‘Where　has
the　favorite　gone？'　How　they　must　be　looking　for　monseigneur
in　all　corners！　What　comments　must　be　made；　and　if　the
Fronde　knows　that　monseigneur　has　disappeared；　how　the
Fronde　must　triumph！〃
〃It　is　frightful；〃　murmured　Mazarin。
〃Sign　the　treaty；　then；　monseigneur；〃　said　Aramis。
〃Suppose　the　queen　should　refuse　to　ratify　it？〃
〃Ah！　nonsense！〃　cried　D'Artagnan；　〃I　can　manage　so　that　her
majesty　will　receive　me　well；　I　know　an　excellent　method。〃
〃What？〃
〃I　shall　take　her　majesty　the　letter　in　which　you　tell　her
that　the　finances　are　exhausted。〃
〃And　then？〃　asked　Mazarin；　turning　pale。
〃When　I　see　her　majesty　embarrassed；　I　shall　conduct　her　to
Rueil；　make　her　enter　the　orangery　and　show　her　a　certain
spring　which　turns　a　box。〃
〃Enough；　sir；〃　muttered　the　cardinal；　〃you　have　said　enough；
where　is　the　treaty？〃
〃Here　it　is；〃　replied　Aramis。　〃Sign；　my　lord；〃　and　he　gave
him　a　pen。
Mazarin　arose；　walked　some　moments；　thoughtful；　but　not
dejected。
〃And　when　I　have　signed；〃　he　said；　〃what　is　to　be　my
guarantee？〃
〃My　word　of　honor；　sir；〃　said　Athos。
Mazarin　started；　turned　toward　the　Comte　de　la　Fere；　and
looking　for　an　instant　at　that　grand　and　honest　countenance；
took　the　pen。
〃It　is　sufficient；　count；〃　he　said；　and　signed　the　treaty。
〃And　now；　Monsieur　d'Artagnan；〃　he　said；　〃prepare　to　set　off
for　Saint　Germain　and　take　a　letter　from　me　to　the　queen。〃

88
Shows　how　with　Threat　and　Pen　more　is　effected　than　by　the
Sword。

D'Artagnan　knew　his　part　well；　he　was　aware　that　opportunity
has　a　forelock　only　for　him　who　will　take　it　and　he　was　not
a　man　to　let　it　go　by　him　without　seizing　it。　He　soon
arranged　a　prompt　and　certain　manner　of　traveling；　by
sending　relays　of　horses　to　Chantilly；　so　that　he　might　be
in　Paris　in　five　or　six　hours。　But　before　setting　out　he
reflected　that　for　a　lad　of　intelligence　and　experience　he
was　in　a　singular　predicament；　since　he　was　proceeding
toward　uncertainty　and　leaving　certainty　behind　him。
〃In　fact；〃　he　said；　as　he　was　about　to　mount　and　start　on
his　dangerous　mission；　〃Athos；　for　generosity；　is　a　hero　of
romance；　Porthos　has　an　excellent　disposition；　but　is　easily
influenced；　Aramis　has　a　hieroglyphic　countenance；　always
illegible。　What　will　come　out　of　those　three　elements　when　I
am　no　longer　present　to　combine　them？　The　deliverance　of　the
cardinal；　perhaps。　Now；　the　deliverance　of　the　cardinal
would　be　the　ruin　of　our　hopes；　and　our　hopes　are　thus　far
the　only　recompense　we　have　for　labors　in　comparison　with
which　those　of　Hercules　were　pygmean。〃
He　went　to　find　Aramis。
〃You；　my　dear　Chevalier　d'Herblay；〃　he　said；　〃are　the　Fronde
incarnate。　Mistrust　Athos；　therefore；　who　will　not　prosecute
the　affairs　of　any　one；　even　his　own。　Mistrust　Porthos；
especially；　who；　to　please　the　count　whom　he　regards　as　God
on　earth；　will　assist　him　in　contriving　Mazarin's　escape；　if
Mazarin　has　the　wit　to　weep　or　play　the　chivalric。〃
Aramis　smiled；　his　smile　was　at　once　cunning　and　resolute。
〃Fear　nothing；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　my　conditions　to　impose。　My
private　ambition　tends　only　to　the　profit　of　him　who　has
justice　on　his　side。〃
〃Good！〃　thought　D'Artagnan：　〃in　this　direction　I　am
satisfied。〃　He　pressed　Aramis's　hand　and　went　in　search　of
Porthos。
〃Friend；〃　he　said；　〃you　have　worked　so　hard　with　me　toward
building　up　our　fortune；　that；　at　the　moment　when　we　are
about　to　reap　the　fruits　of　our　labours；　it　would　be　a
ridiculous　piece　of　silliness　in　you　to　allow　yourself　to　be
controlled　by　Aramis；　whose　cunning　you　know　　a　cunning
which；　we　may　say　between　ourselves；　is　not　always　without
egotism；　or　by　Athos；　a　noble　and　disinterested　man；　but
blase；　who；　desiring　nothing　further　for　himself；　doesn't
sympathize　with　the　desires　of　others。　What　should　you　say
if　either　of　these　two　friends　proposed　to　you　to　let
Mazarin　go？〃
〃Why；　I　should　say　that　we　had　too　much　trouble　in　taking
him　to　let　him　off　so　easily。〃
〃Bravo；　Porthos！　and　you　would　be　right；　my　friend；　for　in
losing　him　you　would　lose　your　barony；　which　you　have　in
your　grasp；　to　say　nothing　of　the　fact　that；　were　he　once
out　of　this；　Mazarin　would　have　you　hanged。〃
〃Do　you　think　so？〃
〃I　am　sure　of　it。〃
〃Then　I　would　kill　him　rather　than　let　him　go。〃
〃And　you　would　act　rightly。　There　is　no　question；　you
understand；　provided　we　secure　our　own　interests；　of
securing　those　of　the　Frondeurs；　who；　besides；　don't
understand　political　matters　as　we　old　soldiers　do。〃
〃Never　fear；　dear　friend；〃　said　Porthos。　〃I　shall　see　you
through　the　window　as　you　mount　your　horse；　I　shall　follow
you　with　my　eyes　as　long　as　you　are　in　sight；　then　I　shall
place　myself　at　the　cardinal's　door　　a　door　with　glass
windows。　I　shall　see　everything；　and　at　the　least　suspicious
sign　I　shall　begin　to　exterminate。〃
〃Bravo！〃　thought　D'Artagnan；　〃on　this　side　I　think　the
cardinal　will　be　well　guarded。〃　He　pressed　the　hand　of　the
lord　of　Pierrefonds　and　went　in　search　of　Athos。
〃My　dear　Athos；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　going　away。　I　have　only　one
thing　to　say　to　you。　You　know　Anne　of　Austria；　the　captivity
of　Mazarin　alone　guarantees　my　life；　if　you　let　him　go　I　am
a　dead　man。〃
〃I　needed　nothing　less　than　that　consideration；　my　dear
D'Artagnan；　to　persuade　myself　to　adopt　the　role　of　jailer。
I　give　you　my　word　that　you　will　find　the　cardinal　where　you
leave　him。〃
〃This　reassures　me　more　than　all　the　royal　signatures；〃
thought　D'Artagnan。　〃Now　that　I　have　the　word　of　Athos　I　can
set　out。〃
D'Artagnan　started　alone　on　his　journey；　without　other
escort　than　his　sword；　and　with　a　simple　passport　from
Mazarin　to　secure　his　admission　to　the　queen's　presence。　Six
hours　after　he　left　Pierrefonds　he　was　at　Saint　Germain。
The　disappearance　of　Mazarin　was　not　as　yet　generally　known。
Anne　of　Austria　was　informed　of　it　and　concealed　her
uneasiness　from　every　one。　In　the　chamber　of　D'Artagnan　and
Porthos　the　two　soldiers　had　been　found　bound　and　gagged。　On
recovering　the　use　of　their　limbs　and　tongues　they　could；　of
course；　tell　nothing　but　what　they　knew　　that　they　had
been　seized；　stripped　and　bound。　But　as　to　what　had　been
done　by　Porthos　and　D'Artagnan　afterward　they　were　as
ignorant　as　all　the　inhabitants　of　the　chateau。
Bernouin　alone　knew　a　little　more　than　the　others。　Bernouin；
seeing　that　his　master　did　not　return　and　hearing　the　stroke
of　midnight；　had　made　an　examination　of　the　orangery。　The
first　door；　barricaded　with　furniture；　had　aroused　in　him
certain　suspicions；　but　without　communicating　his　suspicions
to　any　one　he　had　patiently　worked　his　way　into　the　midst　of
all　that　confusion。　Then　he　came　to　the　corridor；　all　the
doors　of　which　he　found　open；　so；　too；　was　the　door　of
Athos's　chamber　and　that　of　the　park。　From　the　latter　point
it　was　easy　to　follow　tracks　on　the　snow。　He　saw　that　these
tracks　tended　toward　the　wall；　on　the　other　side　he　found
similar　tracks；　the